Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’ (Mark 1:14-15)
Reflection
Each year, many UVa students buck the trend of spending their spring break partying on a stretch of sand somewhere. Instead, they participate in an “alternative spring break” that engages in public service and service learning. The student leaders choose the place and purpose and recruit other students to join them. Trips focus on environmental, human services, or housing issues in diverse destinations––the Grand Canyon, Appalachia, the Pacific Northwest, for example. For some of the students, the trip alters their worldview and changes the direction of their university studies.
When Jesus began his public ministry, he proclaimed a simple message: The reign of God is near; repent; and trust in the good news. The reign of God is God’s alternative governing system, one based on love, justice, compassion, and restoration. Jesus offers two ways to engage in this reign: repentance and trust. The Ancient Greek word metanoia is translated as repentance. It’s a compound word: meta means altered, higher, or beyond and noia/nous means mind. Trust means faith, reliance. So, with an altered mind or higher thinking perceive and invest faith in the reality of God’s reign.
Use Lent as a break from conventional thinking and live into an alternative spring break––a time for metanoia, a time to trust in the power of God’s benevolent and gracious reign. God’s reign will prevail in, with, and through the vexation of domestic politics, the anxieties of climate change, and the dread of coronavirus.
God’s reign is near. Alter your mind and life. Trust.
Poem
“Try to Praise the Mutilated World” by Adam Zagajewski
Try to praise the mutilated world.
Remember June's long days,
and wild strawberries, drops of rosé wine.
The nettles that methodically overgrow
the abandoned homesteads of exiles.
You must praise the mutilated world.
You watched the stylish yachts and ships;
one of them had a long trip ahead of it,
while salty oblivion awaited others.
You've seen the refugees going nowhere,
you've heard the executioners sing joyfully.
You should praise the mutilated world.
Remember the moments when we were together
in a white room and the curtain fluttered.
Return in thought to the concert where music flared.
You gathered acorns in the park in autumn
and leaves eddied over the earth's scars.
Praise the mutilated world
and the gray feather a thrush lost,
and the gentle light that strays and vanishes
and returns.
Practice
When has an issue, group, or person altered how you think and act? When have you experienced a change of heart? What might the world look like when you invest your trust in God’s reign?
Prayer
Sovereign One, proclaim again to us that your reign is near at hand. Teach us your alternative way of love and compassion. Help us to use the means of metanoia and your gift of faith to live more authentically. And with Earth and all living things, restore us. Amen.